Manufacture of forks.



H. H. COWDERY.

MANUFACTURE OF FORKS,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21.71918.

1 ,279,660. PatentedSept. 24,1918.

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; UNITED srmrns PATENT-OFFICE.

ROBERT nfoownnny, 0F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, oHIo, ASSIGNOR some iuvrnnronnFORK AND non COMPANY, OFCLEVELAND, onro, aoonronnrro sror onro.

MANUFACTURE or -r onxs.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. CownnRY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cleveland Heights, county of Cuyahoga, and State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture ofForks, of which the following is a specification, the principle of theinvention being herein explained and the best mode in which I havecontemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from otherinventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated to the manufacture offorks, is particularly concerned with an improved method offormingblanks to be worked into heavy forks such as are commonly used inhandling vegetables, ensilage, coal and coke, stone and other ballastmaterials and similar articles. Such forms'are commonly provided witheight or more tines of relatively large size.

At present forks of this character are made by first forming T-shapedblanks, the

projecting portion of the blank serving to form the shank orhandle-entering member,

and the other portion of the blank being notched at its center. Afterthis notching operation theblank is formed into the required numberofteeth, each tooth being formed separately in a press. After these teethare I preliminarily formed by being stamped from the solid bar the barhas to be straightened andthe tines are then rolled in suitable rollingmachines for the purpose. The objection to this method of producingforks is that it is slow and expensive, since the tines must be stampedout separately from the original T-shaped blank.

On the forks having-eight or more .tines, it has heretofore beenconsidered impossible to produce all of the tines in a single stampingoperation since this relatively large numher of tines cannot be formedon two sides of the head as is customary in the stamping out of four andsix-tine forks, in which" half of the tines are formed on one side ofthe head and the other tines and the handlereceiving member on the otherside. My improved method provides a means for forming blanks in whichall of the teeth can be formed in a single operation from a strip ofstock with very little waste. To the accom lishment of the fore oin andre-' p b b specification of Letters Patent. Patented 1.918;

, Application filed March 21,-191. 'Seria1No. 223,725. 5 V

lated ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafterfully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth.inndetailone method and one product exemplifyingmy'invention, suchdisclosed procedure and product constituting, however, but one .ofvarious applications of the principles of my instock can be performed ina suitable heavy press, andit is, notzthought necessary to illustrateeither the press or the. die members used therein.- as the general.construction of-each will be familiar to those skilled in the art from;the description of the. blanks.

In orderto avoid waste two blanks" are formed'together. from a singlelength. of

stock, the blanks facing in opposite direc-.

tions. as they. arecut from the bar and the tines of the two blanksbeing interposed within each other as will presently be described. Thehead 2 of. the fork willbe formed for a portion of its length from oneouter edge of the stock bar 1 and is then curved inwardly as at'3, thisportion 3 be.- ing substantially at the centerof the .head strip. Thehead strip 2 then extends parallel with the outeredge of the strip l'fora portion 4 of its length, and then again curves outwardly at 5 towardthe edge of the bar. Projecting transversely of'the stockbar 1 andinwardly from the head portion 2 are tines 6, all of which aresubstantially the same size and shape, except the end tines 7 i effect aseverance of the formed blanks from r the bar. The exact size and shapeof the portions which are to be formed into the tines is immaterial, asthese tines are of course subsequently rolled to the proper size andcross section and are then cut off at the same length. r

Projecting outwardly from the center of the head 2 at the point 3 is astrip 9, which is adapted to serve as the shank or handle enteringmember of the form, and this member 9, asindicated-extends along theedge of the strip 1 and is of sufficient width to .permit it to besubsequently formed into the desired shape, by suitable rolling.

The second blank is formed from theother side of the stock strip 1,opposite to and interlacing or interlocking with: the tines 6, 7 and 8of the first blank. The portions of this second blank are identical intheir construction and in their size and location with the portions ofthe first blank, the tines of the two being interposed between eachother as indicated, so that when one blank is forced downwardly by meansof a suitable die, the other blank is forced upwardly'by a co-actingdie, and the two are simultaneously severed from each other and from thestrip of stock.

After being severed from the stock bar the blanks are straightened sothat the portions of the head are in alinement, which automaticallybrings the tines into substantial parallelism which permits them to berolled in the usual machine used for this purpose. After rolling theyare cut off and the handle receiving member.9 being formed at anydesired stage in the manufacture of the fork into a shank to engage ahandle. The finished fork is illustrated in Fig. i.

I have found that by forming the blanks in the manner described abovethere is no more waste than occurred in the usual method of formingT-shaped blanks from a rectangular strip of metal and then notching thesame to permit of the individual stamping out of thedifferent tines. Theamount of material required in my improved method is therefore nogreater than in previous methods, while the saving in labor and in thetime of making the tines is considerable, although it necessitates alarger stamping press than did the individuai cutting of the tines inprevious methods.

Other forms may be employed embodying the features of my inventioninstead of the one herein explained, change being made in blanks alongopposite sides of such section and with such head inclined away from theedges at one point andthere forming shank members, with tine blanksextending transversely of such section from said head blanks and lyingin interlaced relation with each other. r

2. In a method of forming fork blanks,

opposed blanks from a single section of stock by forming the heads ofsuch fork blanks along opposite sides of such section and with such headinclined away from the edges at one point and there forming shankmembers with tine blanks extending transversely of such section fromsaid head blanks and lying in interlaced relation to each other, withthe end tine blanks extending across such stock section. v

3. As a new article of manufacture, a fork blank comprising a headformed of two parallelportions connected by a central portion lying atan obtuse angle to said parallel portions, and having a shank memberextending from such central portion parallel with said parallel portionsand tines extending from said head portion'at right angles thereto.

4. In a method of forming fork blanks, the step which consists inpunching out two opposed, tine interlaced blanksfrom a single section ofstock by forming the heads of such fork blanks along opposite edges ofsuch stock section with each head-inclined away from the adjacent edgeof said section at one point and with a shank member lying along suchadjacent edge adjacent to the inclined portion of said head.

Signed by me, this 18th day of March, 1918.

Bossier H. oownnnv.

Copies of this'patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

1 I Washington, D. G.

the step which consists in punching out the

